The contested capacity of white hip hop performers
The questions of racial authenticity have no doubt dominated various social researches regarding hip hop music since its early inception. Many people have not paid attention on hip hop. The general or basic assumption have existed for a long time remains to be that hip hop singers as well as authenticity on the black identity has been legitimize while white identity is regarded as suspect or invalid. Many of the very well-rehearsed debates on the issue of hip hop and authenticity have concentrated on the overall contested capacity of white hip-hopper. There have been questions whether white individuals promote the development. In essence, the overall juxtaposition of whiteness, as well as hip hop music, continues to raise various sociological questions in the contemporary society.
Moreover, concerns over white participation in black avenues particularly of cultural production have continued to fuel a good deal of ‘authenticity works’ set by black American with the aim of securing hip hop as their musical genre. Notably, hip hop has facilitated genetic construct in society as a significant social problem. “I see no changes, all I see is racist faces, and misplaced hate makes disgrace to races” – this is a verse from a song called “Changes” that was recorded in the year 1996 by the late rapper Tupac Amaru Shakur. Irrespective of the year that his song was released, the lyric is applicable in modern times undeniably; various changes have taken place to erase the racism on the overall American culture since the African American Civil Rights Movement in the early 1950s. Nonetheless, the issue of equality is far from being realized. This paper tends to analyze the overall connection between race constructs and authenticity.
Authenticity is regarded to be a slippery concept that has recently taken center stage into fashion particularly of popular music, racial, ethnic groupings as well as subcultures. In this light, hip hop music tends to occupy the intersection of all the three fields. At some point, authenticity demands that an individual’s performance, or rather objects adheres to a set or constructed within a socially agreed-upon official standard. In this light, authenticity is never regarded to be an organic quality naturally established within tangible things, but instead, it is a claim that is constructed within rejected or even accepted societal settings.
Various rappers have faced success and failures regarding the aspect of authenticity. Ideally, Eminem is an excellent example of a white rapper who has continued to gain credibility as well as respect throughout his musical career, selling over 1.7 million copies particularly of his sophomore label album known as The Marshall Mathers LP. He is very familiar with the aspect of abject poverty. Eminem is considered an authentic product particularly in terms of class pedigree. Most of his experiences in lower class upbringings are well articulated in the works or Martin Huxley entitled Eminem: Crossing the line. Eminem was brought up by a single and a teenage mother on welfare as his father left him while he was small. Huxley’s father terms Eminem’s poverty experience and the way it motivated him to write a hip hop song. Many of the rap stories in Eminem’s songs are credible regarding his economic struggles while he was a child. He underwent various financial, and the only way he had in mind of releasing the pain of poverty was by committing suicide. Through his hip hop song “Angry blonde 18-19”, he embodies the overall downtrodden working-class community that was within Detroit where he was brought up. In this light, Eminem is an example of an authentic hip hop singer who has rap various credible accounts regarding his life experience, particularly of poverty.
The overall juxtaposition of whiteness and hip hop music
The fact that hip hop plays a significant role in the mainstream music industry has led for the splitting of hip hop music, therefore, creating a new type of rap music which tend to promote the racist stereotypes of the African Americans contrary to the uplifting as well as “underground” ideology. In this light, mainstream music has considerably betrayed its original message of self-determination, self-pride as well as an expressive form of oppressed individuals in the society. Moreover, mainstream music acts as a serves as a significant representation of the African American culture in the eyes of the majority of the Americans.
Rap music is no doubt one of the most popular factions of hip hop and, therefore, is considered to be very influential in society. The popularity that hip hop attracted in the early 80s particularly in the American society resulted in the overall creation of mainstream hip hop music which appeals to a broader audience in contemporary society. The main problem of hip hop being considered as a piece of mainstream music is the fact that it abuses its original ideology. According to researches, hip hop music was created based on realness as well as authenticity where the idea was so simple, “keeping it real.” In this light, a rapper is often judged based on different credentials- the overall ability to live by his or her verbal negative side.
Consequently, many rappers in the mainstream industry brand themselves as “realness.” However, the problem is that many rappers are either faking things in their songs or even lying with the aim of fitting into a particular “standard of realness,” which for a long time has turned out to be a reference point of negativity. The main reason why rappers behave in this manner is simply that young African Americans are striving to make sure that they are accepted into the culture of hip hop as well as authentic rappers even though they may not represent the original message of the culture. The notion that such rappers are hijacking the “keeping it real” philosophy is the main reason why hip hop music is regarded to be an authentic representation of the African American culture. Nonetheless, such ideology is considered as a medium for promoting racist imagery in society.
Racial criticism has been constructed in the society by stereotypical images particularly on TV depicting African American as the only people who have the ability of singing, telling a joke, or even dancing. Since hip hop gained popularity and some of the significant records had started investing, many of the African American sees singing as a means of making money and escaping poverty in society. The main problem of being a mainstream rapper id the fact that an individual has to know how to adapt to the existing systems other the system will not let him or her in. Label records are tasked with editing their artist’s work before they are released in the market. The main aim of the label I to make the hip hop song released in the market more profitable.
The slippery concept of authenticity in popular music
In most cases, they release songs that are mainly appealing to a white-dominated audience. According to research, close to 80 percent of young suburban white men and women consume hip hop music in the United States. This industry dates back to 1991 where the music industry has set mainstream hip hop culture to be appealing to those specific demographics. This is where racism plays a major role in the hip hop culture.
Furthermore, various record labels tend to sign and to employ those artists whose music appeal to the white audience, which in the United States is hugely influenced by stereotyping the African Americans individuals. In many occasions, mainstream hip hop has promoted the notion that the African Americans are ‘ignorant people and hyper-masculine thug” while the song portrays the African American women as being “oversexed.” In those times, in case an artist failed to adhere to the standards of a particular record label then their songs risked being censored. One example of such song was the Mos Def’s song which is called “Rape Over.” In the song, the artist suggests that most of the record label owners are the Caucasian who took advantage of the African American individuals. While this song was intended to be in his album, “the new danger’, the record label omitted it intentionally from the playlist. This is just an example which showcases how the hip hop music industry used to work. There various hip hops songs that have portrayed the aspect of racism and authenticity even in contemporary society.
Conclusion
This article has showcased that class has developed as a significant indicator of authenticity in the hip hop genre. While various hip hop rappers rap about credible accounts of their lives, there are those who try to fit in the set standards by faking their life experience to come up with a well-refined work of art. On the other hand, various rappers have in the past promoted the existence of racial discrimination in society based on what they sing and portray themselves.
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